1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to mechanical devices for carrying a plurality of units in a first disposition and moving at least one of the units to a second disposition relative to at least one other of the units, and is directed more particularly to a device for supporting and carrying two units end-to-end and for moving one of the units alongside the other of the units.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are instances in which it is desired to mount and carry units in tandem for passing the units through as small an orifice as possible in a boundary layer and then rearranging the units in a side-by-side relationship.
In the field of medical instruments, for example, it is beneficial in endoscopic examination and surgery to introduce two or more units serially through a relatively small orifice and, once inside the body, reposition the units side-by-side, a disposition of units which, if inserted initially, would require an orifice twice as large, or more, than the small orifice required for introduction of the units in tandem.
In endoscopes, it is known to provide an electronic optical image sensor (hereinafter also referred to as a video device or camera) at the distal end of the endoscope shaft. Such video devices are shown and described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,832,003, issued May 23, 1989, in the name of Hisao Yabe; 5,021,888, issued Jun. 4, 1991, in the name of Yuu Kondau, et al; 5,166,787, issued Nov. 24, 1992, in the name of Keaus Ission; 5,662,584, issued Sep. 2, 1997 in the name of Koichiro Hori et al., and 5,538,497, issued Jul. 23, 1996 in the name of Koichiro Hori. In the field of endoscopes, it would be beneficial to provide an endoscope shaft with two or more electronic optical image sensors which could be introduced into the body serially and, once inside the body, rearranged to side-by-side positions, such that two or more images could be transmitted to provide to an operator a stereoscopic view of the body portion under examination.
In surgery, it is desirable to limit the size of an incision required for introduction of surgical tools and for viewing of the area of concern. It would be beneficial to have available an instrument by which two units could be introduced serially through an orifice of limited size, with one of the units carrying the required tool and the other unit movable to a position alongside the first unit and carrying image sensing means for providing a view of the tool in operation.
Such an instrument could prove beneficial in any application or area of use wherein it is desired to limit the size of an orifice through a boundary layer, to pass two or more units through the orifice and, thereafter, to position the units side-by-side. Thus, for example, it is desired and often necessary to severely limit the size of any orifice in the pressure hull of deep underwater vehicles. It is also desirable to use acoustics sensors on such vehicles for determining range, with at least two sensors being required for purposes of triangulation and thereby determination of range. It is recognized that a device adapted to pass acoustic sensors through a pressure hull serially and thereafter position the sensors side-by-side would be beneficial in underwater detection and tracking assemblies.